Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Two years ago I successfully completed a 3 person relay swim of the English Channel with the Channel Swimming and Pilots Federation (CSPF) under official rules with an observer (See photo). We made it in 14 hours despite very rough weather in the last 3 hours.

This adventure then gave me a taste and an idea that I could try a solo attempt. It would take two years to be able to book a tide with my pilot and a good two years of solid training. There are only a small number of available boats with registered pilots and the demand from around the world is high.

So, I was all set after months of relentless training to have a slot at the end of July. However the Coronavirus pandemic intervened. Fortunately I was able to keep some swimming going in March (Rivers and Lakes) when the pools closed to be able to keep enough training under my belt to still have a chance this year. It looks like I have an end of August tide to make my attempt now life is returning to some sort of normality.

So the training is really under way and the support I have had from my wife and my friends has been amazing. I am now in the finishing stages of my training which involves frequent trips to the coast for some very long swims, some lasting up to 7 hours.

Some of the other long training events I have done in preparation were swimming the whole length Windermere (18K) and the Champions of Champions long distance event in Dover Harbour (15K). All of these events, including the channel are swum without a wet suit under English Channel rules.

They say swimming the channel is the marathon swimming worlds equivalent of climbing Everest and it’s also true to say that far fewer people have swam the English Channel solo than climbed Everest.

The Channel was first swum in 1875 by Captain Mathew Webb, whose quote was ‘Nothing Great is Easy’. My success, despite all the training and dedication is in no way guaranteed and is in the hands of Poseidon!

I want to raise some money from this adventure, for a cause close to my heart and I am sure yours too. Breast Cancer has affected family members, friends and colleagues and I would be very pleased and proud if you could support me to raise some funds for this worthy cause and help provide a potential cure and build on the care and treatments of those it affects.

Breast Cancer UK has seen its donations drop by 80% during the Coronavirus pandemic, all the more reason to give generously.

Best wishes Malcolm.